1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer-aided design and, more specifically, to a system and method for generating curved pipe objects for computer-aided design models.
2. Description of the Related Art
The term computer-aided design (CAD) generally refers to a broad variety of computer-based tools used by architects, engineers, and other construction and design professionals. CAD applications may be used to construct computer models representing virtually any real-world construct. Currently, computer-aided design (CAD) applications allow a designer or engineer to compose graphical representations of utility networks. A user interacting with a CAD application may generate a model of a utility network by drawing simple two-dimensional (2D) objects to represent components such as pipes, conduits, manhole covers, etc. Common 2D drawing objects include simple lines and arcs, etc., which provide only a crude representation of the network parts and do not adequately portray the real-world parts. To modify the utility network represented by the 2D drawing objects, the designer or engineer may have to edit one or more of these lines and arcs individually.
One object commonly included in a CAD drawing of a utility network is that of a pipe. Generating objects to represent linear segments of pipe is relatively straightforward. For example, a user may specify a beginning and ending coordinate, along with a radial size of a desired pipe object, or a user may specify a beginning point, direction and length of a desired pipe object. Generating objects to represent segments of curved pipe, however, has proven to be more difficult. One approach has been to approximate a curved pipe objects by generating multiple, short linear pipe objects. One drawback to this approach, though, is that to edit the approximation, the user must edit each individual short segment. Moreover, some CAD applications are configured to perform sophisticated calculations or simulations based on a particular CAD drawing. For example, calculations such as flow rates and pressures may be performed using the parametric data of a CAD drawing. By representing a curved pipe in a CAD drawing using multiple segments, these types of calculations often become inaccurate and unreliable.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a way to generate curved pipe objects for computer-aided design models of utility networks that is more efficient and accurate the prior art techniques.